EPID-31. BRAIN TUMORS IN UNITED STATES MILITARY VETERANS

Abstract

Abstract Veterans account for ~7% of the adult United States population, with half seeking care through the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). A comprehensive analysis of incidence and survival for brain tumors in the Veteran population has been lacking. Veteran data was obtained from VHA Medical Centers that diagnose and treat cancer via the VHA Corporate Data Warehouse. Brain tumor statistics on the overall US population were generated from the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States data. Cases were defined as individuals (≥18 years) with a primary brain tumor, diagnosed between 2004-2018, and identified using administrative criteria based on International Classification of Diseases for Oncology, Third Edition (ICD-O-3) topography and morphology codes. Annual age-adjusted incidence rates (AAIR) and 95% confidence intervals were estimated per 100,000 population. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated to evaluate overall survival outcomes among Veterans. The Veteran population was primarily white (78%), male (93%), and between 60-64 years old (18%). Individuals with a primary brain tumor in the general US population were mainly female (59%) and between 18-49 years old (28%). The overall AAIR of primary brain tumors from 2004-2018 within the VA cancer registry was 11.6. Non-malignant tumors were more common than malignant tumors (AAIR:7.19 vs 4.42). The most diagnosed tumors in Veterans were non-malignant pituitary tumors (AAIR:2.96), non-malignant meningioma (AAIR:2.62), and glioblastoma (AAIR:1.96). In general, in the Veteran population, survival outcomes became worse with age and were lowest among individuals diagnosed with glioblastoma. Differences between the Veteran and US population can be broadly attributed to the differences in the demographic composition of these groups. Prior to this study, there have been no reports on national level incidence rates and survival outcomes for Veterans. Statistics like these provide vital information that drive efforts to understand disease burden and improve outcomes for individuals with primary brain tumors.